Hore Browse Trist
to Nicholas P. Trist

Dearest Brother

July 27th [1821]

Every thing that contributes to your happiness must affect mine sensibly, & I feel
very much gratified that you have succeeded on a point which you deemed almost essential
to your future welfare. when I read your letter, I was from various causes thrown
into a kind of melancholy reverie, in the first place this circumstance seemsforms a great epocha in your life, for on it depends in a great measure your future happiness
or misery. I felt how hard it would be forthat two beings whose [. . .]lifes have passed as yours have in affluence, I may say, & ease, should, as it were begin
the world anew resting entirely on your [. . .] exertions for a support. There was I dare say a little selfishness mingled with my
feelings for you know in the situation you are placed in, or rather will shortly be, the affection is concentrated on one object, others ties
are soon relaxed & weakened ’till at last a Brother [. . .] becomes a mere acquaintance. such ideas are apt to intrude themselves at first &
my mind was in a state well adapted to encourage them. I was also sorry that you had
given up the idea of returning to W. Point as you told me you expected to derive more advantage from the next years course than
from those you had already passed through. you must place all these feelings in their
true light; they
were the natural consequences of the deep interest I take in all that concerns
you. Your plans are not I am afraid so hopeful as you suppose. In the first place
should Father purchase a sugar plantation he would necessarily involve himself in debt, & he is
already too much involved this would prevent him from affording you any material assistance
for many
years. If you study law I would advise you to practice any where but in Albemarle,
It offers little encouragement to a young practitioner & besides you would be in the
sphere of the
observation
of certain persons, all eyes would be directed upon you, and how mortified you’d
be if your success was not very great. If you study law you must practice somewhere
else, if you wish to be a
farmer
your former plan was preferable, de cultiver l’habitation Sur les terres hautes. Il me semble qu’elle (u)

pourrait au moins faire l’essai du climat, on ne meurt pas la première année si ce
n’est de la fièvre jaune et on peut eviter ce fléau lá If I should succeed at the bar &
make more than can support me, the surplus shall go to you.

As for the proposition you make of going to Louisi in the fall, I feel greatly disposed to accede to it, because it would be the means
of saving father the sum of $ 800 at least, for I could not remain In Philadelphia for less & I doubt if I would lose much by taking the step. If the climate of Louisiana should disagree with me, nothing would be more to my interest, than to go & study
under mr Wirt in Washington, où étant à la cour quelques nouvelles vues peut’ètre s’offriraient. when I receive my remittance perhaps I may join you in Virginia

Washington writes me word, that he finds it impossible to comply with his engagement to return
& spend the summer with me; but the state of his health, would make it little less
than madness to
renew his studies for he consulted a physician who told him his life would be
endangered if he took that step & advised him to travel in the south, which he says
he will do the secretary of war has promised him a furlough for the greater part of the winter. he desires me to
tell you that he has given up all hopes of the Engineer corps & has made up his mind
to be sent to green Bay or Council Bluffs. he wishes you to take care of his “effèts” at the Point untill his return & to get a french dictionary of his from Cadet Holmes & keep it for him. Poor fellow I am afraid he is not long for this world. I hardly
expected him to return when he took leave of me. If it were not for the nature of
his disease, I would
have invited him to repair to Louisiana & pass the winter with us, but the house is not larg[e] & perhaps Mother would not like it. Good bye to Descriptive Geometry & to much of the “agrément” of my stay here. It has been my lot for this last year to be tossed about without
much pleasure or satisfaction. Mead has also written to inform me that he had the1 dysentary on the 4th which prevented his coming & to offer his excuses to the corps. I am ignorant of
his place of abode or I would answer his letter. I will pack up your articles but
how to send them I
dont know. you must let me know what you mean by sockets. you said nothing about
Grandmother & when & how you are to take her to Liberty. since your departure I have received a letter from Mother in which she says that all the family are well, & fathers sickly month has gone by. You must write to washington. I enclosed you a letter the other day from your friend williams. Give my love to Grandmother & the family I wish I was there.

de cultiver l’habitation ... et on peut eviter ce fléau lá: to cultivate the property on the mountain. It seems to me that she (author footnote: you are wrong about my sagacity; not only I but also Eppes knew it. He amused himself shewing her his emotions, something I never allowed myself
to do.) could at least try out the weather there, one doesn’t die the first year
except of yellow fever, and one can avoid that plague.